Device for the grouping of disc-shaped articles,particularly biscuits

ABSTRACT

A device for packing disc-shaped articles, such as biscuits, in groups in which the articles are supplied from a number of parallel channels coming from a source of supply, for instance an oven. The articles are introduced into a number of upright chutes to form stacks therein, from the lower ends of which the articles are selectively ejected in singles and in pairs by a transversely movable slide member having fingers in such a manner that each group of articles will consist of a mixture of articles having different thicknesses, but all packages formed by the groups have the same over-all length, even though they may contain a different number of articles.

[111 3,820,649 June 28, 1974 Fluck DEVICE FOR THE GROUPING OF DISC-SHAPED ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY BISCUITS lnventor: Rene Fluck, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland Filed: Apr. 12, 1972 Appl. No.: 243,136

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 16, 1971 Switzerland 5580/71 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1893 Travis 133/2 3,338,370 8/1967 Maulini 198/35 X Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Eraminer-Douglas D. Watts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson [57] ABSTRACT A device for packing disc-shaped articles, such as biscuits, in groups in which the articles are supplied from a number of parallel channels coming from a source of supply, for instance an oven. The articles are introduced into a number of upright chutes to form stacks therein, from the lower ends of which the articles are selectively ejected in singles and in pairs by a trans versely movable slide member having fingers in such a manner that each groupof articles will consist of a mixture of articles having different thicknesses, but all packages formed by the groups have the same over-all length, even though they may contain a different number of articles.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJunza 19m SHEET 2 [IF 4 R i m mm MW mm mm Am mm /m 0 N t w PATENTEDJUN 2 8 i974 SHEET 0F 4 DEVICE FOR THE GROUPING OF DISC-SHAPED ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY BISCUITS The invention relates to a device for the grouping of disc-shaped articles, particularly biscuits, which are supplied to the device through n parallel channels, during formation of mixture-groups, which comprise m articles, whereby m is n, and each mixture-group contains at least one article from each channel.

Devices of this type already known or suggested are relatively complicated. For creating a more simple grouping device, the present invention provides that each channel leads into a chute, the bottom of which is formed by one or more upwardly and downwardly movable lowering fingers and one or more horizontally reciprocating ejecting fingers, whereby the ejecting fin gers of all chutes are arranged on a common slide member, while all of the lowering fingers are arranged on at least two lowering members movable upwardly and downwardly in two steps, and that the slide member at a lowered lowering member performs at least one stroke in ejection direction, so that at the lower ends of all chutes, through each ejection stroke of the slide member a like number of articles are separated, and that conveyor elements are provided, which by means of consecutive transfer of the articles separated from the individual chutes form mixed groups of m articles.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings which illustrate by way of example several embodiments of the invention.

IN THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a device for the formation of groups of four from biscuits delivered through three parallel channels,

FIG. 2 is aside view of a device for the formation of four groups of ten of biscuits supplied through 10 parallel channels, upon separation of two biscuits each per channel;

FIG, 3 is the same side view as FIG. 2, but shows a separation of one biscuit each per channel. The slide driving mechanism has been omitted;

FIG. 4 shows a cam disc for the formation of five groups of IO;

FIG. 5 shows a cam disc for the formation of three groups of IO; and

FIG. 6 shows in a perspective view a modification of the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2, for the selective formation of three groups of 10, four groups of 10 or five groups of [0.

Referring to FIG. 1, the grouping device shown diagrammatically has three chutess S and S,,, which by the channels K K and K are supplied with biscuits B coming from a biscuit oven, whereby, the channels may be formed for example by means of inclined webs or endless conveyor belts. It is known that the biscuits coming from different points in the oven and passing through these channels are not all equally thick, so that it is desirable for the attainment of uniform biscuit packages to mix the biscuits supplied through the different channels so that each group to be packaged of equally many biscuits contains at least one biscuit from each channel K and K or K 7 Adjacent the chutes S S an endless conveyor chain passes by, which travels transversely to the channels K,,'- K, and whose conveyor elements are generally indicated by Q. It is assumed that the conveyor element Q at the point of time 1 finds itself directly adjacent the chute S and that by means of a slide member 11, which is moved to and fro by a connecting rod 12, at this point of time t, the lowermost biscuit present in the chute S is slidably moved onto the conveyor element Q At the same time, the lowermost biscuit is also moved from the chute S and the lowermost biscuit from the chute 5;, by the slide member 11 to the conveyor element Q itself located there. At the point of time the conveyor element Q finds itself in front of the chute S and receivesfrom the same two biscuits, at the same time the element Q also receives from the chute S and the element ahead of the element Q each two biscuits from the chute S At the point of time t the element Q receives from the chute S and the element Q receives from the chute S and the element Q receives from the chute 8,, each one biscuit. The element Q, has accordingly received four biscuits in all.

In FIG. 1 the biscuits are shown diagrammatically to the left of the conveyor chain, which biscuits havebeen separated at the points of time t t t t and 1 from the chutes S, S by means of the slide member 11. In this connection, in each case one single biscuit is shown by a square having l inserted therein, while two biscuits are shown by a square having 2" inserted therein. The dashed line diagonal 9 connects the biscuits which are taken up by the member Q correspondingly, the diagonals 9 and 9 connect the biscuits which are taken up by the members 0,, Q etc. It is apparent that each member Q at the chutes S S is loaded with a mixed group of in all four biscuits, and conveys the same to the packaging machine,

The FIGS. 2 and 3 show the construction of the device which effects the movement of the slide member 11. The device forms mixed groups of fourteen biscuits which are supplied throughten channels, each of which communicates with a chute, of which only one is shown and indicated by S. The corresponding supply channel is indicated only by an arrow K.

The slide member 11 which is common to all chutes S is provided with a guide-head 13, to which one end of a connecting rod 12 is pivoted at 14, and which is horizontally guided between two stationary guides 15. The other end of the connecting rod 12 is pivoted at 16 to the upper end of a vertical lever 17, whose lower end is pivoted at 18 to the frame of the device and carries between its ends a cam follower such as a roller 19 which by means of a tension spring 20 engaging the lever 17 is held in contact with the periphery of a cam disc 21. It is apparent that upon rotation of the cam disc 21, the slide member 11 will be moved forward, that is, in direction of the arrow 22, or rearward, respectively, if the roller 19 at 23 or 24, respectively, moves from a circumferential part 25 of smaller radius to a circumferential part 26 of larger radius, or vice versa, respectively.

The slide member 11 is provided under each vertical chute S with one or more horizontal ejection fingers 27, which upon forward movement of the slide member 1 1, slide the two lowest biscuits of the stack in the chute S forward and at the same time prevent a downward sliding of the stack of biscuits which remain in the chute S. The finger or fingers 27 engage between lowering fingers 28 which are provided on the free end of a horizontal pivot-arm 29, and which are located during the forward movement of the ejection fingers 27 in the lowered position as shown, while during the rearward movement of the ejection fingers 27 the fingers 28 are raised and prevent a subsequent downward sliding of the biscuits in the stack. The horizontal pivot arm 29 is pivotally connected with its other end at 30 to the frame of the device and is pivotally connected between its ends at 31 with a vertical connecting rod 32, whose upper end 33 is pivoted to a short horizontal lever 34. The lever 34 is pivoted between its ends at 35 to the frame of the device and is connected by means of an adjustable joint 36 with the upper end ofa vertical connecting rod 37 whose lower end, at 38 is connected to one end of a horizontal lever 39. The lever 39 is pivotally journaled between its ends at 40 on the frame of the device and carries also between its ends a cam follower such as a roller 41, which is held by a tension spring 42 in contact with the circumference of a cam disc 43, as long as a locking hook 44 does not engage a stop member 45 arranged at the other end of the lever 39. The cam disc 43 is arranged coaxial with the cam disc 21 and is driven together with the same. It is apparent that when the roller 41 engages the circumferential part 46 of the cam 43 having a smaller radius, the fingers 28 on the pivot lever 29 will be lowered a distance equal to the thickness of two biscuits. When the roller 41 engages at the circumferential part 47 of the cam 43 having a greater radius, then, the fingers 28 are raised and close the lower outlet of the chute 5.

The horizontal shaft on which the cam discs 21 and 43 are mounted drives by means of a pinion 48 an endless toothed belt 49 and a gear wheel 50 a cam disc 51, in such a manner that the latter upon each full revolution of the cam discs 21 and 43 makes only one-tenth of a revolution. The 10 corresponding circumferential sections of the cam disc 51 are designated U U U etc. to U Four of these sections, namely, U U U and U have a greater radius, and therefore are higher" than the other six sections U U U U U and U 0. A substantially vertically disposed locking lever 52 which is pivotally attached with its upper end at 53 to the frame of the device and is provided at its lower free end with the already mentioned locking hook 44, and carries between its ends a roller 54, which by a tension spring 55 is held in contact with the circumference of the cam disc 51. When the roller 54 engages one of the higher sections, for example, U,, the hook 44 cannot engage the adjacent end part 45 of the lever 39 and therefore cannot prevent that its roller 41 follows the lower circumferential part 46 of the cam disc 43 and accordingly the lowering fingers are lowered a distance equal to the thickness of two biscuits (two steps), as is shown in FIG. 2.

If, however, the roller 54, as shown in FIG. 3, engages one of the lower circumferential sections, for example, U then the locking hook 44 engages the end part 45 of the lever 39, so that the roller 41 when sliding downwardly from the higher circumferential part 47 of the cam disc 43 cannot any longer reach the lower circumferential part 46, but remains standing at a point halfway, that is, the lowering fingers 28 on the pivot arm 29 controlled by the linkage 37, 34 and 32 are accordingly lowered only one step, and thereupon the slide member 11, whose drive members are not shown in FIG. 3, upon its movement in the direction of the arrow 22 separates only one biscuit from the stack in the chute 5. Accordingly upon each full revolution of the step -cam disc 51, at the chutes S, four times two and six times one, namely, 14 biscuits are separated from the stack, and the consecutive collecting devices Q (see FIG. 1) which upon each revolution of the cam discs 21 and 43 are moved from one chute to the next and collect the biscuits separated there, are accordingly filled each with a mixed group of 14 biscuits which are conveyed to the packaging machine.

In FIG. 4 is shown a step-cam disc 51a in which five of the 10 circumferential sections U, U namely U U U U and U, are higher than the other sections U U U U and U In view thereof. by means of 10 consecutively following ejection strokes of the slide member 11, now at each chute S five times two and five times one equals 15 biscuits are separated from the stack and each conveyor element Q receives a mixed group of 15 biscuits.

The step-cam-disc 51b according to FIG. 5 has only three high circumferential sections U U and U and accordingly seven circumferential lower sections U U U U U U and U When using this cam disc 51b, mixed groups of three times two and seven times one equals 13 biscuits are formed.

When as a result ofa change in the average thickness of the biscuits supplied by the oven, it is desired to change from groups of 14 biscuits to groups of 15 or 13 biscuits, in order to maintain the package dimension approximately constant which is important for a smooth operation of the packaging machine, then with the device according to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is only necessary to exchange the cam disc 51 for the cam disc 51a or 511).

As shown in FIG. 6, the grouping device may also from the very beginning be equipped with the different step-cam-discs 51, 51a, and 51b, and with a selector device 56, which permits any desired one of said cam discs to be moved into operative position. The stepcam-discs 51, 51a and 51b are mounted with the gear wheel 50 on a common shaft 57 and cooperate with three levers 52, 52a and 52b which are provided with locking hooks 44, 44a and 44b. These levers 52, 52a and 52b are pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft 53 and carry the cam followers or rollers 54, 54a and 54b which are engaged by the compression springs 55, 55a and 55b. The stop member 45 of the lever 39 consists of a transverse beam integrally formed at the end of the lever 39 and this beam may be engaged selectively by all three locking hooks 44, 44a and 44b.

A rotatably mounted shaft 59 carries three trip cams 60, 60a, and 60b, which cooperate with the locking levers 52, 52a and 52b, while a trip cam 61 also on the shaft 59 cooperates with the rear or adjacent end of lever 39. At one of its ends (if need be, at both ends) of the shaft 59 is mounted a selector dial 62 which is provided with indications l4, l3," l5 and 0 offset to one another. This dial 62 is adjustable with respect to an indicator mark 63 fixed to the frame of the device. The trip cam 60 has a flat face 64, which is positioned opposite the locking lever 52 when the indication 14 of the selector dial 62 is set opposite the marking 63. The flat face 64 insures that the roller 54, under the action of the spring 55, remains in contact with the cam disc 51, while at the same time the trip cams 60a and 60b keep the other rollers 54a and 54b away from their respective cam discs 51a and 51b, while the trip cam 61 is inactive. If the selector dial 62 is adjusted to 15 or 13, then the flattened faces 64a or 64b respectively of the trip control cams 60a or 60b respectively, insure the operation of the cam discs 51a or 51b respectively, while both of the other cam discs 51 and 51b or 51 and 51a respectively, are inoperative.

The trip cam 61 has a smaller overall diameter than the trip cams 60, 60a, and 60b with the exception of a nose 65, which is positioned below the lever 39 when the selector dial 62 is adjusted to the mark 63. In this position the nose 65 raises the lever 39 so high that the roller 41 on the lever 39 constantly maintains the position, which corresponds to the radius of the higher cam-disc-part 47, that is, that the lowering fingers 28 are held continuously in their upper position and close the outlet of the chute S.

Bymeans of the selector dial 62, one may accordingly without interrupting the operation of the device, alter the number of biscuits in the mixed group to be packaged, or in the case of a small disturbance, the operation of the grouping device may be interrupted for a short time without having to shut off its drive.

In a modification, not shown, the-movement of the conveyor element Q to the drive of the cam discs 21, 43 and 51 which control the ejection of the biscuits from the chutes S is so adjusted that the take-over of the separated articles in each case takes place only after two successive ejection strokes. With this twostroke"-method, higher productions may be achieved.

In order to relieve the lower biscuits, one may provide in a side-wall of the chute S a vertical holder 66 indicated in dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2, which by means of drive means, not shown, may be moved trans verse to the chute in the direction of the double arrow 67. If the holder 66 is pressed against the stack of bis cuits 68 located in the chute, the biscuits engaged by the holder will be pressed against the oppositely disposed wall of the chute and the biscuits lying therebelow will be relieved. The holder 66 is moved backwards only then when the lowering fingers 28 have again returned to their raised position.

It is additionally pointed out that the vertical chute S as a rule is not very high and also does not have to be exactly vertical. Advantageously, the channel K passes with a gentle curve into the upper end of the chute S.

It is believed to be obvious to construct the device in such a manner that the lowering fingers 28 may be lowered in three (or more) steps, instead of only in two steps. One may then at each chute separate one, two or three (or more) biscuits. In general, however, there exists hardly any need for this type of construction.

What I claim is:

1. A device for the grouping of disc-shaped articles, particularly biscuits, which are supplied to the device by n parallel channels and the formation of mixed groups which comprise m articles, where m n and each group contains at least one article from each channel, comprising:

a plurality of upright chutes each communicating with a respective channel, each of said chutes comprising a bottom including horizontal fingers mounted to move upwardly and downwardly and horizontal ejection fingers mounted to move to and froe;

a common lowering member connected to all of said horizontal fingers and mounted to move upwardly and downwardly in at least two steps;

a common slide member connected to all of said ejection fingers for simultaneous movement of said ejection fingers;

conveyor means mounted adjacent said chute bottoms for movement transversely of the parallel chutes to receive the articles consecutively from said chutes;

a lowering cam disc;

an ejection cam disc;

a lowering linkage connected to said common lowering member, said lowering linkage including a cam follower biased toward said lowering cam disc;

a slide linkage connected to said common slide member, said slide linkage including a cam follower biased toward said ejection cam disc;

means for synchronously rotating said lowering cam disc and said ejection cam disc;

a plurality of step cam discs each having n circumferential sections with an edge profile defining at least two lowering steps;

means including a common shaft for rotating said step cam discs at l/n times the speed of said lowering and ejection cam discs;

a plurality of step cam followers each biased toward a respective step cam and each having a locking member movable in response to rotation of the respective step cam to prevent engagement of said lowering cam disc with said cam follower of said lowering linkage; and

a selector operable to render one of said step cam followers and its locking member active and the remaining step cam followers and their locking members inactive at a time.

2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said selector includes a shaft carrying and rotatably adjustable by an adjusting dial, said shaft carrying a plurality of trip cams which cooperate with said common lowering linkage, said step cam followers and said locking members,

. said trip cams having respective flat faces which insure upon a corresponding adjustment of said adjusting dial to block said lowering linkage in a position in which said lowering fingers close the lower ends of said chutes. 

1. A device for the grouping of disc-shaped articles, particularly biscuits, which are supplied to the device by n parallel channels and the formation of mixed groups which comprise m articles, where m > n and each group contains at least one article from each channel, comprising: a plurality of upright chutes each communicating with a respective channel, each of said chutes comprising a bottom including horizontal fingers mounted to move upwardly and downwardly and horizontal ejection fingers mounted to move to and froe; a common lowering member connected to all of said horizontal fingers and mounted to move upwardly and downwardly in at least two steps; a common slide member connected to all of said ejection fingers for simultaneous movement of said ejection fingers; conveyor means mounted adjacent said chute bottoms for movement transversely of the parallel chutes to receive the articles consecutively from said chutes; a lowering cam disc; an ejection cam disc; a lowering linkage connected to said common lowering member, said lowering linkage including a cam follower biased toward said lowering cam disc; a slide linkage connected to said common slide member, said slide linkage including a cam follower biased toward said ejection cam disc; means for synchronously rotating said lowering cam disc and said ejection cam disc; a plurality of step cam discs each having n circumferential sections with an edge profile defining at least two lowering steps; means including a common shaft for rotating said step cam discs at 1/n times the speed of said lowering and ejection cam discs; a plurality of step cam followers each biased toward a respective step cam and each having a locking member movable in response to rotation of the respective step cam to prevent engagement of said lowering cam disc with said cam follower of said lowering linkage; and a selector operable to render one of said step cam followers and its locking member active and the remaining step cam followers and their locking members inactive at a time.
 2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said selector includes a shaft carrying and rotatably adjustable by an adjusting dial, said shaft carrying a plurality of trip cams which cooperate with said common lowering linkage, said step cam followers and said locking members, said trip cams having respective flat faces which insure only the movement of that locking member which corresponds to the selected step cam disc.
 3. Device according to claim 2, including an additional trip cam on said selector shaft which is rotated upon a corresponding adjustment of said adjusting dial to block said lowering linkage in a position in which said lowering fingers close the lower ends of said chutes. 